Luxury Ring Worn by Park Jisung's Wife: Friend's Comment Reveals It Was 'Defective'

Cartier Ring Purchased Five Years Ago Deemed Defective
"Luxury Does Not Guarantee Quality, Trust, or Service"
Cartier Faces Continued Reports of Product Defects

French luxury jewelry brand Cartier has once again become embroiled in a quality controversy. Cartier has raised its prices three times this year alone, and as reviews related to product defects continue to be shared multiple times on social networking services (SNS), consumer distrust is growing.

Former national soccer player Park Jisung (44) and his spouse Kim Minji (40), former SBS announcer (left), chose Cartier for their wedding rings. Kim Minji SNS

According to the luxury goods industry on October 15, a post titled "Cartier Ring Deemed Defective: Both the Product and the Response Were Unsatisfactory" was recently uploaded to an online luxury goods community. The author, Mr. A, stated, "I purchased the ring as a wedding anniversary gift, but I recently received a refund after it was deemed defective." The refund was processed at the purchase price from five years ago.

Mr. A purchased the "Cartier Love Full Pav? Ring" for 18.6 million won at a department store in Seoul in June 2020, five years ago. At the time of purchase, the store showed only one ring in the appropriate size, and it was not apparent that it was defective. However, a friend recently remarked that "the ring looks a bit strange," which led Mr. A to suspect a defect.

The photo released by Mr. A showed a significant difference in light reflection and brilliance compared to the genuine product. Mr. A explained, "The genuine product stands out with a larger and more pronounced sparkle due to proper polishing, but the defective product makes the diamonds appear much smaller, looks dull like glass, and is noticeably less brilliant."

Photo released by Mr. A on an online community. The left is the genuine product, and the right is the defective product. Online community.

This ring is one of Cartier's popular models and is well-known as the wedding ring chosen by former soccer player Park Jisung and former SBS announcer Kim Minji. Cartier has raised the price of this model three times this year, and it is currently being sold for 27.7 million won. This is an increase of nearly 10 million won in five years.

Mr. A expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Cartier claims that its name alone is more trustworthy than a certificate and does not provide one, but when a defect is revealed, their response is nothing short of disappointing, let alone trustworthy. I wore it for over five years, and when I realized at a glance that it was a defective product, the shock and anger were indescribable."

He added, "The name 'luxury' does not necessarily guarantee quality, trust, or excellent customer service. Do not blindly trust the brand; always make sure to check by any means necessary that you are purchasing a genuine and flawless product."

According to the current consumer dispute resolution standards, defects that occur within six months of purchase are considered manufacturer defects and can be exchanged or refunded. However, in the case of Cartier, it is known that the company may require customers to pay for repairs or wait several months while the product is sent to the headquarters in France to determine whether it can be repaired or exchanged.

Cartier stated that, for defective products, an initial inspection process is conducted at the time of purchase, and if a product is deemed defective, an exchange or refund procedure is carried out. However, if the purchase was made at an offline store, immediate refunds may be difficult, as the initial inspection would have been conducted by store staff.

Meanwhile, cases of discoloration, breakage, and peeling of plating on Cartier products are being shared on SNS. Some consumers are reportedly collecting these cases and preparing to file a collective dispute mediation request with the Korea Consumer Agency under the Fair Trade Commission.